Aluku
Encyclopedia
The Aluku or Boni is the name of a Maroon
ethnic group living mainly on the riverbank in Maripasoula
, southwest French Guiana
, and the eponym
ous term for their language, which has more than 5,000 speakers. They are mostly descended from former slaves (rebels) from Suriname Paramaribo
, who escaped and fought for freedom, then later found peace. The language is a creole of English
and other influences. It is similar to the languages spoken by the Paramaccan
and Kwinti
or the Jamaican Patois.
The Aluku the word is pronounced haloukou, are a legendary ethnic group in French Guiana
originally from Suriname
descendants of African slaves from majorities of Gold Cost (present Ghana), also known as rebels or Bushinengué (bush negro), also called Maroons
, who escaped from Dutch plantations in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, today Suriname
is the former colony of the english then of the Dutch at last. They speak a variant of the language Aluku, and the Ndjuka Paramaka.
Before the aluku, other groups of slaves escaped: the first slaves are those who will compose the Saramaca, the second group Ndjuka. sometime after the Ndjuka The Aluku or also called Boni.
Boni is a name taken from one of their former notorious leader Bokilifu Boni, some think he was a mulatto slave. Sinking, slowly, in the Amazonian forest, they finally settled in the end of the eighteenth century along side the riverbanks tributary of Lawa Maroni
, now forming the border between French Guiana
and Suriname
.
As to the mixing between different clan, they formed a new ethnic group.
The struggles for freedom against the Dutch troops and also against the Ndjuka and the Saramaca almost extinguished them. Now feuding brothers living farther north, created a sense of belonging to the same people living in either one side or the other of the River Today border.
It is similar to the languages spoken by the Pamaka and Ndjuka.
In the late eighteenth centuries the Aluku occupied the region of today Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
, Apatou
, Grand-Santi and the largest fraction of the territory still occupied called Fochi-ké (First Cry)better known as Aluku is located in the region of Maripasoula
, consisting of municipalities and city of Maripasoula
and the capital city of Papaïchton
and his traditional villages ,Kormontibo, Assissi, Loca, Tabiki, and Agoodé in French Guiana and Cottica, Suriname. Another part, far downstream lies near the mouth of the river with city of Apatou and Maiman. There is also a very large population Aluku in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni,Cayenne Matoury,and Kourou.
Traditionally, Aluku sustained itself, living in gathering, hunting, fishing and nomadic culture far from their homes. However, taken together, they seem to have passed the point of no return to society of consumption, the market economy and modernity. Many bonuses are hired as drivers of river boats (pirogues) by the Army, in the 9th RIMa. According to Bernard Delpech, in Les Cahiers d'Outre-Mer, No. 182: they undergo the "destabilization of the basic traditional material, cultural transformation, altering the rules of collective life"
Maroon (people)
Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
ethnic group living mainly on the riverbank in Maripasoula
Maripasoula
Maripasoula is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of , Maripasoula is the largest commune of France, and is recognized as the fourteenth largest city in the world by surface area....
, southwest French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, and the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous term for their language, which has more than 5,000 speakers. They are mostly descended from former slaves (rebels) from Suriname Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, who escaped and fought for freedom, then later found peace. The language is a creole of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and other influences. It is similar to the languages spoken by the Paramaccan
Paramaccan
The Paramaccan are an ethnic group living in the forested interior of Suriname, mainly in the Marowijne District, and the eponymous term for their language, which has less than 1,000 speakers. The language is English-based with influences from Portuguese and other languages. It is similar to the...
and Kwinti
Kwinti
The Kwinti are an ethnic group living in the forested interior of Suriname on the bank of the Coppename River, and the eponymous term for their language, which has less than 1,000 speakers. The language is English-based with Portuguese and other influences. It is similar to the languages spoken by...
or the Jamaican Patois.
The Aluku the word is pronounced haloukou, are a legendary ethnic group in French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
originally from Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
descendants of African slaves from majorities of Gold Cost (present Ghana), also known as rebels or Bushinengué (bush negro), also called Maroons
Maroon (people)
Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
, who escaped from Dutch plantations in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, today Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
is the former colony of the english then of the Dutch at last. They speak a variant of the language Aluku, and the Ndjuka Paramaka.
Before the aluku, other groups of slaves escaped: the first slaves are those who will compose the Saramaca, the second group Ndjuka. sometime after the Ndjuka The Aluku or also called Boni.
Boni is a name taken from one of their former notorious leader Bokilifu Boni, some think he was a mulatto slave. Sinking, slowly, in the Amazonian forest, they finally settled in the end of the eighteenth century along side the riverbanks tributary of Lawa Maroni
Maroni
Maroni is village located in the Larnaca District of Cyprus....
, now forming the border between French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
and Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
.
As to the mixing between different clan, they formed a new ethnic group.
The struggles for freedom against the Dutch troops and also against the Ndjuka and the Saramaca almost extinguished them. Now feuding brothers living farther north, created a sense of belonging to the same people living in either one side or the other of the River Today border.
It is similar to the languages spoken by the Pamaka and Ndjuka.
In the late eighteenth centuries the Aluku occupied the region of today Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is one of the two sub-prefectures of French Guiana and the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni...
, Apatou
Apatou
Apatou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America.The commune of Apatou was created on 12 November 1976 by detaching its territory from the commune of Grand-Santi-Papaichton ....
, Grand-Santi and the largest fraction of the territory still occupied called Fochi-ké (First Cry)better known as Aluku is located in the region of Maripasoula
Maripasoula
Maripasoula is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of , Maripasoula is the largest commune of France, and is recognized as the fourteenth largest city in the world by surface area....
, consisting of municipalities and city of Maripasoula
Maripasoula
Maripasoula is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of , Maripasoula is the largest commune of France, and is recognized as the fourteenth largest city in the world by surface area....
and the capital city of Papaïchton
Papaïchton
Papaïchton is a commune in the overseas region and department of French Guiana...
and his traditional villages ,Kormontibo, Assissi, Loca, Tabiki, and Agoodé in French Guiana and Cottica, Suriname. Another part, far downstream lies near the mouth of the river with city of Apatou and Maiman. There is also a very large population Aluku in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni,Cayenne Matoury,and Kourou.
Traditionally, Aluku sustained itself, living in gathering, hunting, fishing and nomadic culture far from their homes. However, taken together, they seem to have passed the point of no return to society of consumption, the market economy and modernity. Many bonuses are hired as drivers of river boats (pirogues) by the Army, in the 9th RIMa. According to Bernard Delpech, in Les Cahiers d'Outre-Mer, No. 182: they undergo the "destabilization of the basic traditional material, cultural transformation, altering the rules of collective life"